Election Chairman Neal’s $11 Million in Lobbying Compensation

Neal Earned Big Money to Lobby Politicians That Owed Him Their Office

Chicago Board of Elections Chairman Landgon Neal has the power to help his fellow machine members when they run for public office. As Chicago’s highest election authority, Chairman Neal denied ballot access to every non-machine candidate that he possibly could. Then, after the machine politicians won their elections, Chairman Neal was paid to lobby the very same politicians who benefited from his election board decisions.

Chairman Neal was even paid to lobby elected officials at the very same time the Chicago Board of Elections was in the process of conducting their elections. Elected and about-to-be elected officials had to go along with Neal when he lobbied them. Otherwise, Chairman Neal could have used his election authority to retaliate.

The $11 million in lobbying compensation is only for Chairman Neal’s direct lobbying activity. The $11 million doesn’t include the lobbying fees that his law firm’s 15 other lawyers earned. Because Chairman Neal is the majority owner of his law firm, he undoubtedly received the lion’s share of the money lobbying clients paid to his firm’s lobbyists.

To view a master list of Chairman Neal’s lobbying clients and the amount each one paid, click Election Chairman Neal’s Lobbying Compensation . This data comes from lobbying reports that Neal submitted to the Chicago Board of Ethics.

Government to Government Lobbying

Election Chairman Neal lobbied on behalf of such public agencies as the Chicago Board of Education, Chicago Public Building Commission, Chicago Transit Authority, etc. Election Chairman Neal received $11.2 million in lobbying compensation from 2003 to 2011, of which Chairman Neal was paid $3.7 million by government agencies to lobby Mayor Daley’s administration and Chicago alderman. To view the Election Chairman Neal’s government to government lobbying compensation reports, click Chairman Neal’s Gov. to Gov. Lobbying Compensation 1

Election Chairman Neal Received More than $1 Million from JCDECAUX North America

Election Chairman Neal had a piece of all the action in Chicago. Neal’s law firm received income from the Cellular Field project, Illinois Medical District, the Midway Airport Expansion Project, Millennium Park, O’Hare Airport Expansion Project, the reconstruction of the Chicago Transit Authority’s Red and Blue lines, numerous Tax Increment Financing Districts (TIFs), and the University of Illinois, Circle Campus expansion. While earning a substantial amount of money from all these public works projects, Neal was also pulling in a $90,000 a year salary with benefits for serving as Chairman of the Chicago Board of Elections.

Election Chairman Neal’s largest private client was JCDEAUX North America. Recall JCDEAUX North America receive contracts to build and maintain the City of Chicago bus stop shelters. When JCDEAUX North America inked its contract with the city, the company expected to earn over $700 million in advertising revenue. Of course, Election Chairman Neal made sure he received his cut from JCDEAUX North America. To view Election Chairman Neal’s $1 million in lobbying compensation from JCDEAUX North America, click Chairman Neal’s JCDECAUX Lobbying Compensation 1.